Beast
by Amor Discendi
Summary: The woods are dangerous, but the beasts that live there are even more so. Cloud joins a group of hunters to find rare beasts of the southern woods. After successfully capturing one, his prejudice ways begin to change as he learns that beasts come in many forms.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: Hey guys, here is another new story. I plan on keeping the chapters a little shorter than I usually do in hopes that I can write and post more frequently. That is the plan anyways. Enjoy!**

 **I no own nothing but my plot. Sorry for any mistakes, they always sneak their way in. Rated M, you have been warned.**

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 **CHAPTER ONE: The Beast  
**

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and blinked up into the treeline. Small patches of sunlight peeked through the mostly full branches, occasionally making him squint when it would catch his eye the wrong way. He flinched as a twig snapped under his boot, quickly looking around to see if it had disturbed the local fauna. He wasn't one for disturbing peaceful creatures, or the violent ones.

He was lost. He had been for almost three hours now.

"Gods I am going to die out here," he wiped the sweat from his forehead again. The hot climate wasn't agreeing with him, as it wouldn't with anyone from the north who didn't frequent the southern lands. The air was heavy and stuck to you making you feel like you had a second skin.

A bird tweeted and flew around him in circles. Not just any bird, he began calling it _the_ bird. He swore it was following him, but the more likely case was that the heat was getting to his head. He stopped and pointed a finger at it as it landed gracefully on a moss covered branch, "and you...you just stop doing that, I am already dizzy and your obnoxious fluttering is not helping. Fuck off will you?" The bird tweeted and turned its head to the side before flying off.

"Impressive, I speak fluent bird...alright...this way it is."

He continued on through the woods in no particular direction, resting often, mumbling to himself even more.

The sun was sinking lower in the sky and his heart pounded ever so slightly harder in his chest. It wasn't smart to be in the woods at dark. That's what they had said, he knew they were right. Anyone who thought otherwise was a fool. So then where were they? He heard no shouts of his name. Only the swishing of the wind in the trees and the occasional birdsong and chirp of crickets were present. Speaking of birds, he was starting to miss his tiny stalker. His tiny stalker was gone, flew off to some great unknown. So why did he still have an uneasy feeling of being watched.

"Agh!" He shouted as he tripped over a tree root and fell, "God dammit." He lifted his head off the ground, damp leaves sticking to his cheek and blonde hair. He sighed and brushed them off. His boots and pants were spattered with mud, his white shirt white no more as it was filthy with sweat and dirt. 'What else could possibly go wrong?'

He sat on the ground for a moment looking around, cursing the roots that tripped him, until a familiar sound reached his ears. He jumped up, and worked his way through the copse as fast as he could, not bothered by the branches that scratched his face.

He reached a clearing, exclaiming his joy at the sight of a stream, "Water! Oh lovely water, how I have missed you!" He stumbled over, ignoring the dull pain as his knees fell onto the stones at the edge of the water, submerging his head underneath the cool water. He emerged with a gasp and shook the water from his hair, pushing the wet strands out of his eyes before drinking a few hand-fulls of water. He had hoped it was safe enough to drink. That was the least of his worries at the time as the sky grew increasingly darker.

Looking down he caught a glimpse of himself in the waters reflection. A stranger stared back, distorted by small ripples in the water. His cheeks were scratched, his bright blue eyes bloodshot, and his clothes were covered in dirt and mystery stains. He removed his shirt and washed it and his body as best as he could, before wringing his shirt and replacing it onto his pale skin. That would do for now.

A wave of dizziness and exhaustion hit him like a brick wall as he brought himself to his feet. His eyebrows came together as he closed his eyes momentarily. He opened them to scan his surroundings. Over on the other side of the stream was a large thicket, maybe it would be best to try and take shelter for the night. Hopes of being found were waning.

He crossed over the stream, boots sloshing water onto the backs of his black pants. At least he didn't have to worry about freezing to death. Starving was another thing, he'd worry about that later.

It had been at least five hours since he was separated from his group now. "Incompetent bastards call themselves hunters. Can't even track a human let alone these damn monsters. Gah!" He crawled into the thicket, pushing back leaves and twigs and making sure he wasn't exposed.

"I'm hiding in a fucking bush...no I am going to probably die while hiding in fucking bush, even better." He punched back a shrub before laying against the leaves with heavy eyes, whispering to himself, " I don't really want to die yet."His eyes began closing as he listened to the lull of the stream.

He didn't remember falling asleep but he woke with his heart pounding in his chest. He held his breath as he listened over the soft sounds of the stream. But he was sure that it wasn't the stream making those sounds.

The night was bright with a full moon but he could hardly see through the branches surrounding him. He supposed that was his plan, he just hoped nothing could see him either.

The bushes across the stream rustled now and then making his heart skip a beat. The sound of something walking closer made him bite his cheek. Then the sound of something crossing the stream.

'I'm hidden, nothing can see me. I'm okay, I'm safe here,' he repeated to himself like a mantra. He felt along the ground for the rock he laid on when trying to get comfortable earlier, his finger curling around it tightly as the steps grew nearer.

His heart was pounding so loudly he was almost sure it was giving him away. He sat up slightly, fingers even tighter on his rock as the thicket began to rustle.

Now or never, you're not dying in a fucking bush man. He gulped before jumping out of the thicket with a pathetic battle cry, hurling the rock at the intruder.

"Fuck off, it's my goddamn bush! "

"Argh! Fuck- what the fuck is _wrong_ with ya'?"

He blinked and looked down at the man holding a hand against his bleeding forehead, a torch burning on the rocks beside him.

"CID?!"

"I don't want nothing to do with your damn shrubs, have' ya' gone mad Cloud?"

He excitedly helped the man to his feet, giving his apologies before picking up the torch and handing it to him.

"I thought you were going to kill me, bad view from in there really," he said pointing to his hideout.

The old man adjusted his goggles on his head and grunted, " Cloud, ya'know, next time stay put, it'd been easier to find ya' if you had. Ya' go wandering off and make us go on a wild goose chase to find ya' everyone's pretty mad. How's it so hard to track an idiot like you? Gah, they'll be along any time now anyway."

"Oh...I didn't think of that."

"Ya' wouldn't would ya.'"

"Hey! What is that supposed to - well whatever I'm just glad I didn't kill you...and that you found me before something bad hap-" Cloud's entire body went stiff and his face paled, making the older blonde turn to see what has caused the reaction.

He frowned and held the arm with the torch towards Cloud, tapping the handle against his chest for him to take it and he did. He carefully drew the rifle from his back, pointing it in front of them.

Brown fur shone in the moonlight as silver eyes glowed by the edge of the stream across from them. It was staring right at them.

"Cid," Cloud licked his dry lips," Is- is that-"

"It's one of them."

"Ah, there's more than one, of course there is." Cloud didn't remove his gaze from the silver ones staring back at him as he took a step back. Cid shot a hand out grabbing the front of the young blondes shirt in a fistful.

"Don't fuckin' move a muscle ya'hear? Do what I say."

Cloud swallowed before nodding. Cid let go and drew the rifle to his eye before aiming it at the huge creature.

"When I shoot, we run. One of these wont take it out, just a distraction. We run past it towards the direction of the group ya' got that kid? "

"I'm not an idiot, I got it."

"No time to be a smart ass. Now..." Cid aimed, finger on the trigger before taking the shot. The dark hit the beast in the neck making it yelp in pain and stumble to the side.

"Run like hell kid!"

Cloud didn't need to be told twice as he took off in a sprint, Cid right behind him. He made the mistake of looking back as the beast got to it's feet, shaking the dart out of it's neck and pulling it's lips back into a menacing snarl. Cloud whipped his head back around, almost running into a tree in the process.

"It's fucking chasing us Cid! SHOOT IT AGAIN!"

"Can't only bullets left."

"SHOOT IT WITH BULLETS THEN!" Cloud shouted and ducked as a branch nearly took his head off. The beast howled behind them as the glow of torches and the sound of voices could be heard up ahead.

"Not...how..it works kid." Cid huffed behind him, rifle clacking against his back.

"At least...I didn't...die in a bush."

"CID?! CLOUD?!"

Cloud waved his arms at the group that appeared up ahead.

"IT'S FUCKING CHASING US!"

"We have one, hit it!" Cid yelled to them, three of the group instantly drew their guns. The two blond men ran past them catching their breath as the three gunmen took their aim past them.

The huge beast bounded toward them with giant strides, before skidding against the forest floor and then falling as three shots were fired into it. It howled as it lay breathing heavily against the earth unable to fight.

The group rushed over with ropes as Cloud stared into silver eyes before they slowly closed.

In the distance a bird sang despite the full moon.

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 **AN: Thanks for reading everyone! I can't wait to post the next chapter!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Beast**

 **AN: I apologize for any mistakes. Rated M**

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 **CHAPTER TWO: A Waning Gibbous Moon  
**

The wagon rattled and jumped as the left rear wheel caught a wide pothole in the dirt road, in turn throwing the pile of sleeping muscle, imprisoned in a silver-lined cage, into hard bars. His eyes shot open and he growled low in his throat, quickly moving back to the center of the cage to clutch the seared skin of his arm to his bare chest.

The driver whistled at the two horses pulling the metal laden wagon, tugging on their reins, making them whinny in protest, before they steadied the wagon and centered back on the road.

This was the fourth time that the unpleasant burn of silver bars had kissed his flesh, but only after the second was it obvious the driver wasn't avoiding the potholes in the road.

He ignored the annoying throb of his arm, knowing it would heal soon enough. All previous burns from being slammed against the silver bars had scabbed over and healed to reveal tan skin, smooth and unscarred. He ran two fingers over the groove between his eyebrows, across the bridge of his nose and slightly down his cheek, ending just below his left eye. Only one scar marked his skin, an unfortunate reminder of the past.

Drawing one leg up, he rested his forearm on his knee with a hand hanging loosely in the air over it. Through the bars, he watched the trees which had become a blur of green and brown as the wagon practically flew down the bumpy road.

His wagon took the lead of the caravan, with three horse-drawn covered carts behind holding various supplies and the rest of the men either riding in the backs of the carts or on large yellow-feathered chocobos.

He recognized the old man from the woods. He drove one of the carts and usually made their meals, even bringing him a bowl of soup with bread at night and an apple in the mornings. Despite the old man shooting him in the woods, he seemed to be one of the nicer of the large group of twenty or so men.

His captors hadn't hid their hatred for him, with superficial chatter and spiteful glances, words like, 'savage,' and 'barbaric,' reaching his ears time and time again. If only he weren't behind silver bars, what face would they all show then when facing the beast? The thought would entertain him and make him laugh for a time, only to be silenced by a hard kick of a muddy boot to the bars or another run in with a pothole.

He knew they were headed north. The days were becoming short and he felt the changes in the air. The scent of pine needles had become more prominent, overwhelming and relentlessly sticking in his nose. The mornings greeted them with light layers of frost and puffs of smoke when one would exhale, cold air biting back when inhaling, but he found his lungs opening up and welcoming the freshness of it. He had wished for pants and possibly a shirt, as he was still as naked as a new moon, but he didn't hold onto the hope of that level of kindness.

It was twilight, the sun having kissed the green hills in the distance before creating a warm orangey glow as it slowly fell in the sky, giving way to the first signs of the nights stars. He watched as a waning gibbous moon began to peek over the tops of the hills, the last of the daylight disappearing into the valley below, leaving behind faint streaks of purple and blue.

They'd make camp soon. Bandits and murderers came out at night and dark roads became their playground, making it unwise to travel come sunset. That was one thing the north had in common with the south. Undoubtedly anywhere in the world, men were men and monsters were monsters, sometimes both being quite the same thing.

He looked up into a purplish sky slowly becoming black. By the degree of the moon, he estimated they were roughly one week out, give or take a day that he had spent asleep, disoriented when he was drugged with more wolfs-bane darts.

The cause of his imprisonment had been making himself scarce, hidden somewhere in the back of one of the carts no doubt. He only saw him at night, catching blue eyes glancing over from the warmth of a campfire every now and then. He wondered if he'd catch him again that night, he liked the flustered and panicked look he'd give when he realized, before quickly looking back to the flames or forcing himself back into conversations that clearly had not interested him. The blonde pulled his eyebrows together and scrunched his face and leaned into a conversations that interested him. He had found him easy enough to read, even from so far away.

Not soon after the sky turned black, they had stopped in a large clearing slightly off the road, one with the footprint of other travelers, having old stone fire-pits and messages and initials of past visitors carved into the trunk of a gigantic tree that sat at the center of the campsite. Despite the distance from the tree, his visibility in the dark was five times that of a humans and he could read all the names, doing so to pass the time. None seemed familiar.

The horses were unhitched and they joined the chocobos who were being fed carrots and hay. He supposed he liked horses and chocobos, after all, they didn't know they were probably delivering him to his doom.

Tents were pitched and fires started, and he, left alone to his silver prison, began to grow hungry at the smell of roasting meat on spits but the old man would bring him some unsatisfactory soup later on like he always did.

Well, he wasn't entirely alone. Two guards chatted by the cart as they did every night. That night was the coldest it had been yet and the two guards wore lightly lined coats with fur at the collars. The taller of the two, who was bald, wore a funny hat with a pom pom on top whistling and kicking a boot at the ground. the pom pom hat didn't match the leather gloves he wore. The other with his fire-red hair pulled into a ponytail and bangs held back with goggles, stood with his arms wrapped around himself shivering and complaining about the temperature.

"You're like a Southerner, always cold."

The taller said, making the redhead scoff and mumble some retort under his breath. Something about a pom pom. He pushed his goggles up further on his head with a shaking hand before giving the taller man an unfriendly gesture with his finger.

They spoke about nothing important, and instead he stared at something that he found far more interesting.

Rifles were strapped to their backs and a loop of keys dangled at each of their belts, practically mocking him as they were so close but out of reach. If they'd just get a few feet closer, he'd reach through the bars, break one of their necks and take their rifle and bash the others head in, grabbing the keys in the process. Gunfire would draw too much attention. He had fantasized this almost every night.

The urge to reach through the bars and attempt his escape grew every night ever since he had first entertained the idea. He had yet to attempt it though, the perfect opportunity having yet presented itself. The guards were never quite close enough to the bars and he had to weigh his options, which were few. He'd only have one chance and he would damn well wait for the right time. If he failed, they'd probably drug him with wolfs-bane for the duration of the trip or shoot him in the arm or leg with a silver bullet. A silver bullet wouldn't kill him unless it was between his eyes, but it did hinder the healing process and hurt like a bitch, especially with any wolfs-bane in his system. It wasn't as if he was afraid of the pain, having had his fair share of wounds in the past, even shot with a silver bullet once and stabbed and bitten on more than one occasion, but he _had_ to get out of that cage. There was nothing good for his kind in the north, the reality of his situation grimly presenting itself over and over in his thoughts. His thoughts were his only companion and they proved to be rather poor company.

He sighed as he laid back on the wooden floor boards of the cage, that night wouldn't be good either. Maybe no night would as the guards were smart enough not to get too close to him. Quite a few were superstitious and thought it unlucky to touch him for fear of catching lycanthropy.

Long brown hair fell over a shoulder as he turned on his side, his head resting on an arm as he looked through the top of the cage at the moon and stars. The burnt skin of his forearm was already almost fully healed, only a pink scar was left which would soon go away too.

He shut his eyes tightly, his brows furrowing as the memory of the night of the full moon came to him yet again, shaming him for being naive and devoid of his usual guile. He couldn't stop the recollection; there wasn't much to do being trapped in a cage other than retreat into his mind.

 ** _*****Flashback*****_**

The full moon always made his temper grow and he became just a bit more impulsive, transforming against ones will just had that effect, the degree varying in each individual. That's why they hunted, to quell the rage not the hunger, but they always hunted according to their code even on a full moon. They didn't kill humans unless they had a true reason to, which usually wasn't a problem when you're deep enough in the woods. They hunted malevolent creatures and anything willing to do harm to the more peaceful beings of the forest, sometimes just deer when there was nothing else to hunt. He even recalled hunting squirrels once.

His actions were rarely unforeseeable to himself in his other form, and he proudly donned his second skin and went on the hunt under a full moon without worry. Until that night when he decided to hunt alone as was privilege to him. He came to his favorite stream to transform, perplexed when he saw a blonde man crawling into the thickets, strange that he was alone so deep in the woods, or in the woods at all. He inhaled deeply and noticed no other scent of humans, even more strange. Humans rarely traveled alone in the south.

He watched for a long moment and thought of the countless threats in the woods when the sun set, and it wasn't as if he liked humans very much, but he also didn't hate them. He had argued with himself internally for a long time before the moon began to rise, still low in the sky. Cursing, he decided to stay by the stream for the night, but agreeing with himself that whatever happened to the man come morning would be clear of his conscience.

Only later would he know that staying and watching over him would be the worst mistake of his life.

He hid out of sight on the opposite side of the stream, on a bed of soft green moss behind the dark green bushes that had the red berries that he would sometimes bring to Namine. Namine who had been gone most of the day, but he hadn't worried because she often went off to bother some poor woodland creature as she so often liked to do.

He waited until the stars were visible through the tree tops, not soon after, the moon shining across his face and into his blue-grey eyes, turning them a bright silver. He removed his pants, (he had been shirtless that day because it was too hot), and placed them in a neat pile on a flat rock. Transforming was a painful process but he did so almost silently and quickly, biting his cheek until it bled and blood pooled in his mouth as his bones snapped and changed shape. Pain was something his kind eventually got used to.

The night had been quiet and the full moon demanded the hunt, a familiar warmth slowly spreading through him. He peered over at the thicket and down the stream in his new form, he didn't smell anything strange other than the human who smelled oddly and pleasantly of a mixture of chokecherry, rosemary, and sweat. Those were smells of the north. He looked back across the stream one last time before deeming him safe enough.

He went off for less than an hour and after finding no malicious creatures, tracked a deer and killed it with swift ease. Biting the right part of the neck made it quicker.

With a mouth of sharp teeth dripping blood, he said his thanks to the dead creature, an offering to the moon and something to sate the rage.

His ears twitched at a sudden sound, shouts, two voices coming from the direction of the stream. Assuming the blonde was in trouble, he tore across the leaf covered forest floor, dead leaves flying into the air under him as he maneuvered between the trees and bushes with well defined finesse.

Everything went downhill from there. Bright blue eyes stared into his silver ones from across the stream, completely petrified. An older blonde man with goggles on his head stood in front of the younger blonde and caught his shirt as he tried to back away, mumbling something as he handed him his lantern. He stared cautiously as the man raised his rifle at him. He'd survive a bullet, he had before, he just had to turn at the right moment.

Instead of the pain of a bullet, he felt the sting of a dart in his neck, blurring his vision slightly and making him stumble and almost fall into the stream. His vision focused as he gained his ground and fire spread through him in an instant, anger growing, and he knew he hadn't hunted enough. In a flash he was shaking a wolfs-bane dart out of his neck and bounding through the forest after two humans. Something which only happened to the young or the feral, but he was hardly himself at that point.

He tried to stop when the hunters raised their rifles, and he came to his senses then, realizing this was probably his end.

The last thing he remembered or maybe he had just imagined, was Namine calling out into the night as he stared into bright blue eyes, blinking slowly and feeling numb and oddly betrayed.

 ** _***** End Flashback*****_**

He should have left the blue-eyed man alone to die in the woods. He exhaled heavily, his breath turning white in the cold air before it dissipated.

The pom pom hat adorned guard stepped away suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts as he muttered something about taking a piss. The red haired guard nodded to him and adjusted the goggles on his head for the umpteenth time as the other plodded toward the treeline at the edge of camp.

The prisoner froze, his eyes growing wide as the remaining guard shifted slightly on his feet as he yawned and stretched, unknowingly moving back almost a foot towards the cage.

His heart began to beat heavily in his chest. He quietly scooted to the edge of the cage, the guard talking to himself, muttering about the cold. He began to reach his right arm through, the space just big enough to fit it through. He was silent as the skin of his arm slid along the length of the bar leaving a trail of red burn marks. His heart was racing now, the rifles strap was almost close enough to grab. He pushed his shoulder against the bars, stretching as mush as he could. He'd pull the guard against the bars, snap his neck easily before he could even scream, take the keys and unlock the cage. _'Just a little more and-'_

"What are you doing?"

He whipped his arm back through the bar and bared sharp white teeth, turning his head to see who had ruined his perfect moment of escape. Thankfully the guard was still mumbling, the whole event unbeknown to him.

"Down here."

He looked to the front of the horseless cart. Blue eyes stared up at him through the bottom of the cage where he was crouched on the ground next to the step up to the drivers seat. Blue eyes cautiously looked over to where the men were eating their dinner and talking around campfires, before they returned their attention on the prisoner and slowly rose, straightening a dark fur-lined tweed coat in the process.

He groaned internally. The cause of all his suffering.

"If I tell the guards they'll probably-" He opened his mouth as if to say, but the arm that shot through the bars interrupted him, and a clawed hand grabbed hold of the front of his coat pulling him closer.

"I heard werewolves had tempers. Guess that's true," The blonde said with a grimace, his eyes closed. He pushed at the other mans clawed hand clenched in his coat, unsuccessfully removing it and soon giving up and slouching against his strong clutch.

"I see that the part about you being incredibly strong was true too..." He opened his eyes to find blue-grey ones staring angrily at him.

"Don't worry, I wont tell anyone...could you...let me go now...maybe?" That only got another flash of teeth making the blonde flinch, the prisoner not yet convinced.

"Look, if you kill me I can't give you this." He struggled around the arm holding onto his coat as he reached into it and pulled out a folded piece of dark fabric.

The brown haired man stared at him sharply before releasing his grasp with an ungentle suddenness that almost made the blonde fall backward. He withdrew into the middle of his cage, drawing his right leg up to rest his freshly burnt arm on. The blonde turned his eyes away abruptly, as the prisoner was clearly the furthest thing away from being inhibited.

He cleared his throat, "Ahem...some of u-" he caught himself, " the other _men_ are put off by having to see your...well you _know_...he doesn't want you dead...you could catch pneumonia or something worse." He finished hurriedly, ears turning pink in embarrassment. He turned his head and coughed a rather fake cough.

The prisoner stared expressionlessly for a long moment making the blonde look around uncomfortably in the silence. He hadn't missed what the blonde had said, ' _he_ didn't want him dead.' Who was _he_? His mind clicked as he thought another plan, planning being something he had a lot of time to do.

"How am I just realizing? Your hair, you look just like a chocobo."

The blonde choked on air as he whipped his head to look at the prisoner in profound disbelief before flushing and accidentally looking down, only to turn bright red and cover his eyes and groaning, as he shoved the fabric through the bars without looking. The prisoner unfolded them to reveal a pair of woolen drawstring trousers.

"Fuck, really?Like I haven't heard...hold on, you _talk_?" He looked over now, grateful that the prisoner was in the process of draping the pants over his lap. He wasn't in the habit of staring at other men's nether regions. All the while the prisoner had stared at him still angry but now slightly amused, and he couldn't help but bring the corner of his mouth up into a smirk.

" It is hard to speak to people who are too afraid to come within twenty feet of me, which I'd say is most of these men."

"Ah, good point."

"And yet, here you are bringing me gifts. _You_ aren't afraid?" He knew the answer already.

"Oh believe me, I _am_ afraid." He broke off in a whisper.

"I've no reason to harm someone who would help me, though I can't say I like you all too much. Though, some reassurance, " he gestured to the bars as to finish what he had meant. He left out the part where he would have said, 'you being the reason I am here.'

"Why did I have to draw the short stick..." The blonde drew his face down into his fur collar of his coat muffling his words.

"Leon."

"What?"

"My name is Leon."

"Oh." He stared silently for a moment, his mouth caught in an 'o' shape before unfreezing to add, "You...aren't what I expected. I've heard stories." He nervously looked around as if someone were watching. The redhead guard was apparently deaf or nearly close to it.

"Yes, I'm sure you _have_ heard stories." He smirked, showing a sharp canine.

"I've never met a wolf man before and Cid told me that-" Cid, that was the man who usually brought him dinner.

He interrupted. "Please, _wolf man_?," he scoffed, "I am a lycanthrope. Beast, werewolf, monster, call me what you will, but not wolf man. I do prefer my own name to any of those titles though."

"Well...Leon then...anyways I'd better be getting back." He turned to leave, pulling his collar up on his neck before stopping to turn around once more.

"I'm Cloud by the way."

"So I have heard...could I possibly offer you something Cloud?"

"No offense but you don't look like you have much to offer."

Leon leaned closer to the bars, "Visit me tomorrow night and I'll tell you a story. Maybe you would be kind enough to bring a shirt with you?" Cloud stepped a few feet closer at that, eyes wide.

"What kind of story?"

"Now that would spoil all the fun don't you think? Is it a deal or not?" He put his arm through the bars, offering his clawed hand.

Cloud thought for a long moment, his blue yes shining before he took Leon's' hand," Deal."

"RENO!"

The shout startled them both and Cloud ripped his hand away.

"Rude?"

"Why am I being rude, I'm saving your life...and _yours_ Cloud, get the hell away from him." Cloud immediately backed up a few feet with a worried look.

"No no no, I meant, _Rude_ , in the what the hell do you want. kind of way." The redhead rolled his eyes.

The pom pom hatted guard, apparently named Rude, marched over and push the redhead named Reno out of the way, reaching through between two silver bars to grab Leon's arm whose hand was enclosed around something.

"Drop it." He snarled in return.

"Drop it. Now." Leon sneered again but opened his palm, a small silver knife fell out of his palm which was now a bright red and oozing droplets of blood. It clanked against the wooden floor of the cage before Rude snatched it away, shoving Leon's arm back.

Cloud made a sudden realization and patted his coat pockets frantically.

"Whe-when did you-"

Leon smirked,"Does it matter?"

"Reno, how did you let this happen, you are standing _right here."_

Reno shrugged, "Relax, it's fine now isn't it."

Rude flung his arms in the air in exasperation before pointing to Leon who still smirked in his cage.

"Try anything like that again and you wont remember any of this trip. And YOU," he pointed to Cloud," don't bring weapons near the prisoner...ever...period. Why were you even near him?"

Cloud stared at Leon both in betrayal and amazement," I- I brought him pants." Leon smiled a sinister smile in return.

"You," Rude pointed to Leon," Did you do something to him?"

" _Did_ I Cloud?" Leon turned to ask the shocked Cloud.

"Ah, you see...," He paused," No...he didn't do anything."

Rude looked at them both before cursing."Well if you're done, get back before someone gets killed for your recklessness. Tell Cid to send Xigbar over to replace this idiot for tonight too." He hit Reno over the head with a gloved hand.

"Ow, fuck!"

"We'll talk about this later Reno." In turn Reno gave him a few curse words and mumbled something about a ten minute piss as he traipsed toward one of the campfires, Rude watching him with a stern face as he went.

Leon went onto his knees suddenly, the pants falling off his lap as he grabbed the silver bars, hands burning but he still smiled like a madman.

"There once was a lamb who aided a wolf in need, the wolf bit the lambs neck and ate his flesh as thanks. This story is free, don't forget what I said earlier." With that he released the bars and sat with his wide tanned back turned to the blonde.

"Uh, can someone tell me what the hell that means? Cloud?...Cloud?!" Ignoring Rude, Cloud began walking back to camp with a horrified expression on his face.

"Idiots, I am surrounded by idiots." Rude made sure to step far enough away from the cage, grunting as he pulled his hat over his ears.

Cloud's heart beat painfully in his chest. He had been fooled and worse of all was the twisting feeling deep within his stomach. He had tried to tell Rude the truth, he wasn't able to. The word "yes" twisted in his mouth and became no. The wolf had done something to him and he had made a deal with a devil.

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 **I hope you enjoyed, I know not much happened but I feel this chapter was necessary for certain things in the story to progress.**

 **Please feel free to give any constructive criticism. Constructive people, _constructive._ I don't want to be crying myself to sleep now.  
**

 **Leon is a little bitter and maybe going insane, but can you really blame him? This was also Leon and Cloud's first time speaking to each other...and all I can say was that went downhill fast. All I can say is Leon has a plan...maybe he will start planning weddings next.  
**

 **HMMM what did Leon do to Cloud and just WHO is this HE fellow? Dun dun dun dunnn, the plot thickens.**

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you stick around for the next chapter.  
**


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